1049 Perplexed and Smitten 109 (2/2)
\”What are you saying, Mother? I was just busy.\”
\”Being busy is just an excuse. I know you're just sick and tired of me. Son, I gave birth to you when I was in my thirties, and we're the only ones left at home. I'm really worried about you, and I want to see you settle down and build a family of your own. All I'm asking is that you get married and bear children. What's so difficult about that?\”
\”Mother, getting married and bearing children is not as easy as breeding animals. This concerns my happiness and my future child's happiness. How can I be so casual and hasty about it?\” said Pei Yi, who obviously understood her concerns about having a grandchild.
\”Tian Tian is such a great girl, do you really detest her that much just because she rejected you once? Tian Tian is so nice to me. She's filial, beautiful, and sensible. Why don't you fancy her at all?\”
\”Don't talk about her anymore. She was just being nice to you because she wants to curry my favor. I know the reason behind each and every action of hers,\” he said in annoyance.
\”Don't always mistake her goodwill to have ill intentions. She's my goddaughter, and there's nothing wrong for her to be kind to her godmother. I want you to marry her, precisely because she dotes on me. Where else are you supposed to find such a good girl like her?\”
\”No matter how great of a girl she may be, I can't force myself if I don't fancy her.\”
\”You may marry someone you fancy too. But the problem is, you can't find anyone and yet you still despise the girls I introduce you to.\”
\”What's the hurry? If it's meant to be, it will be.\”
\”I must make myself clear about something. Married women who have borne children, like An Xiaoning, are unacceptable.\”
\”Didn't you say that I'm allowed to marry a woman whom I fancy? That's enough, Mother. Let's stop talking about my marriage. I don't want to be bothered by this topic every single time I see you. If you still want to see me…\”
\”You've learned how to threaten me…\”
\”I'm just trying to negotiate with you.\”
The elderly lady said, \”My son is so handsome and wealthy. Why do you have to be with a filthy secondhand good? You must marry a better girl. You're not allowed to have such poor taste in women.\”
\”Mother, you've overestimated me. In your eyes, An Xiaoning may be an unchaste woman who's already been married and borne children. However, she might not even want to marry me even if I fancy her.\”
\”So be it, then. It's not like there aren't any other women in this world.\”
\”Mother, would you like to go out to take a breather? Perhaps visit a villa or something?\”
\”I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to coop myself up at home.\”
\”…\”
—
An Xiaoning left at past seven o'clock in the morning. Not long after, Fang Erlan received a call from her parents.
They called to ask her for her new address. However, she decided not to tell them, for fear that they would show up at her door to disturb her peace every so often. Thus, she simply asked them if something had happened.
Mrs. Fang was the one who had made the call.
She chastised angrily over the phone, \”People always say that mothers ought to be able to rely on their daughters, yet you refuse to even tell us where you had moved to. Are you afraid that we would share your clout now that you've made a name for yourself?\”
Mrs. Fang would often harp on the same thing whenever she called. Fang Erlan said, \”Tell me straight if there's anything you'd like to say to me. You don't have to talk about those irrelevant things. I'll do my duty as your daughter and provide for you and Father when you're old and incapable of supporting yourselves.\”
\”You already have such an attitude now. How can I depend on you when I'm older? Erlan, don't forget, if news about you being an unfilial daughter leak onto the media when your career is picking up, it's going to greatly affect your future!\”